Intermediary
by EcliSky
Summary: Basil never asked to have this power, never asked to see these visions, never asked to suffer for the world, never asked- yet he was chosen by the Tri-ni-set to replace the fading Mare Rings as its last third, and torment is now his. / (four years after end of manga)
1. the stake is chosen

**Hey, everyone. It's been- what, nineteen months? A long time, a long hiatus, but I took up the keyboard again after I found this plot sitting in my documents, forgotten for two years. Me from two years ago really had something, but present me decided to do something about it. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **chapter 1 - the stake is chosen**

* * *

 _It had taken months of rigorous fights and survival, but Basil had finally made it back to his time._

 _He never wanted to Travel again._

 _Nursing the gash on his leg that he had gained somewhere in between times (his other wounds had long since diminished to dull pains if untouched), he paused in front of the gates of the threatening headquarters. He smiled grimly as he looked up at the looming building. Only two hours ago (or was it? Basil didn't bother calculating the specific time he had been in) he had left this building to make it to his training on time._

 _Rain dripped down the eaves of the overhead roof and made puddles on the ground. Basil ignored the wet drops that splashed on his head as he limped to the large doors, managing to knock._

* * *

"Thank you for gathering on such a short notice. We have urgent news regarding the balance of the Tri-ni-sette. That is why we have called you, Bermuda, holder of the former Arcobaleno pacifiers; Yuni, former Sky Arcobaleno; Sawada Tsunayoshi, holder of the Vongola Rings; and those accompanying them."

Tsuna, straightening his collar and tie, hastily tried to assume an image worth of the Vongola Decimo and make it look like he hadn't been run out of bed, thrown on a suit, and sped to the meeting site in the blink of an eye. An impressive feat should he have succeeded, seeing how as even at eighteen-years-old, he and his Guardians were among the youngest in the Vongola (not counting the four-year-old former Arcobaleno). He glanced around the meeting room of the Vongola's Japanese Headquarters apprehensively. While there were familiar faces seated all around the table, such as his Guardians, the Shimon Famiglia, the former Arcobaleno, his father, and the VARIA (uninvited, but no one protested), there was also Bermuda, flanked by two Vindice guards. Tsuna shuddered, not expecting to have to see him again so soon.

If Bermuda decided to do something again, CEDEF guards, such as Basil and Oregano, were outside and ready to take action when needed (which was unlikely, as Tsuna had pointed out, but Iemitsu had insisted).

Two Cervello, in all of their pink-haired, masked-eye glory, stood at the head of the room. "This is the news we have for all of you," one of the women stated calmly. "The Tri-ni-sette balance is breaking… and with it, the balance of the world, causing chaos around the globe."

* * *

 _A minute later, he was met with a loud voice and long, silver hair. "VOI! WHO IS I-" Squalo stopped mid-yell and managed to lower his voice to an aggressively 'normal' volume. "Oh. It's the CEDEF brat," he growled in surprise. "I thought you were-"_

 _"I managed to make it back earlier than estimated," Basil croaked, hoping he didn't look as bad as he felt._

 _Squalo grunted. "Is that so?" He squinted at the young teenager with concern. "Those injuries don't look so good, brat. Are you sure you don't want to get those treated before...?"_

* * *

Bermuda stiffened. "What do you mean? I assure you, we have been maintaining the container-"

"-it's not the pacifiers," Tsuna broke in unconsciously. When he was met with surprised looks, Tsuna realized what he had said and stammered, embarrassed, "I-I just feel like it's not because of the pacifiers- like it has to do with Byakuran and the Mare Rings somehow."

The Cervello nodded. "The Vongola's Hyper Intuition is correct. This imbalance is not because of the pacifiers, but rather, the Mare Rings."

Tsuna tensed. "But the Mare Rings are safe, right? I thought you were protecting them in this time-!"

"They are safe, but they do not have much time left," the other woman replied. "After the Mare Rings were destroyed in the future by you, Sawada, the present-day Rings began to fade in this time. We believe it is because the only owner they acknowledged- Byakuran- had died in the future and has no intention of using them here in the present." She brought out a box and opened it, displaying its contents to the others in the room.

The Mare Rings were translucent.

"Their power really is dissipating," Gokudera muttered. "So what's going to happen now?"

"If this power is not balanced, the world will gradually fall apart," the Cervello intoned, shutting the box with a snap. "Natural disasters will become more frequent, and the earth will slowly crumble-"

The room jolted and shook for a few seconds before settling down- an earthquake.

"-just like that," she continued, ignoring the growing tension in the room. "The Shimon are currently doing their best to be the temporary third portion of the Tri-ni-sette-" -Enma nodded sternly, as he and his Guardians had been alerted much earlier- "-but the fact remains that they were always meant to be the outside forces holding the world together, rather than directly in the center."

Reborn hopped from Tsuna's head onto the table in the center of the room, his expression unreadable. "Then what is the permanent solution?"

"We allow the Tri-ni-sette to find a new owner of the power that was formerly held by the Mare Rings."

Hidden behind the crowd of much taller people, Verde startled many by speaking up. "A new owner, not owners? Wouldn't it be bestowed to a Family or organization?" he noted dryly. "I was under the impression that a single person would be incapable of harnessing one of the thirds of the Tri-ni-sette without being of the same species as Checker Face or Yuni and her ancestors."

Again, the Cervello nodded. "That is correct; rather, it was. Things have changed. With the former Arcobaleno third being more than maintained by those of the 8th Flame, the power given to the Mare Ring third has diminished drastically."

Yuni gave a small gasp. "So that's why Byakuran's power is slowly getting weaker-!"

"Yes. Therefore, as long as there is someone who possesses almost as much power as the current holders of the Tri-ni-sette, the last third will choose that person and the world will be balanced."

* * *

 _"No," Basil replied, determined. "I apologize if I am not welcome at the moment, Squalo-dono, but this takes first-priority."_

 _Squalo grunted again. "No, you're fine." Raising his voice, he yelled, "VOI! THE CEDEF BRAT IS HERE!" He turned to leave before glancing at Basil. "When?"_

 _"Fifteen years from now, alternate timeline. Mafia War."_

 _"And he wasn't there."_

 _"No."_

 _Squalo gave a rare sympathetic expression before leaving._

* * *

"...it can't be that simple," Chrome said quietly.

"It is not," the Cervello acknowledged. "That person will be given a great burden. Though not to the extent that the Arcobaleno bore, the burden will still be great- he will be cursed with the responsibility of making sure the different dimensions and timelines stay different and do not interfere with each other, as the future conflict did."

"So how will the person be chosen?" Yuni asked.

"We have no control over this power bestowal. We can only allow the Tri-ni-sette to seek out its own holder. However, we have not yet allowed this action. If the two leaders give their permission as the current holders of the Tri-ni-sette, the third will be automatically chosen and given the last stake to hold the balance of the world. Do you allow the Tri-ni-sette to find its last third?"

"W-wait just a moment here!" Tsuna exclaimed, suddenly standing from his seat. "You said something about the person being given a huge burden, right?"

"That is correct."

"Then what if- what if after we give our consent to this, an innocent person is cursed with this burden?! Shouldn't we try to figure out who it is so that they can be supported and-"

* * *

 _"Little One?"_

 _Struggling not to let his tears fall, Basil gave a weak smile. "Mammon-nii."_

 _As the floating Arcobaleno's hidden eyes surveyed the CEDEF apprentice's injuries and ragged look, he slowly grew more agitated, though he didn't let it show. "Let's go to my quarters."_

* * *

"We cannot be certain, but it is highly likely that the person chosen will be part of the mafia, one bestowed with Flames. It is even more likely that he will be someone you know. The requirement to hold the power, after all, is to possess as much strength as current holders of the Tri-ni-sette, and we believe that you, Sawada Tsunayoshi, are well-acquainted with most, if not all, people who fulfill that criteria."

Tsuna bit his lip. "But still-"

Reborn suddenly spoke up. "An hour ago, there was a monsoon in Indonesia."

Colonello nodded. "Two minutes ago, there was a 6.8 earthquake in the U.S., kora."

"And in a few moments-"

The entire room shuddered, and the ceiling cracked.

There was a pause. Then Tsuna, though reluctantly, silently sat back down. One last scan around the room showed him that everyone's expressions were solemn, acknowledging the severity of the situation and what it might mean for one poor soul, but they were also resolute, and Tsuna knew that he had to make the decision. "...I give my consent," he murmured with difficulty. Bermuda echoed his words with less hesitation, intent on preserving the Tri-ni-sette from the beginning.

The Vongola Ring on Tsuna's finger immediately began to glow, its light mirrored in his Guardians' Rings and, undoubtedly, far away in the pacifiers as well. It started as a faint, luminescent glow, slowly brightening and intensifying- ("Ow, my eyes," Fran nonchalantly stated) -until everyone had to cover their eyes to protect themselves from being blinded. The light held for a few moments as the Tri-ni-sette sought out its new holder, and then the Rings gave a final, decisive flash as the person was found, the light abruptly extinguished.

The blood drained from Tsuna's, Iemitsu's, and a certain former Arcobaleno's faces as piercing, agonized screaming tore through the air- its source right outside the door.


	2. the first flood

**chapter 2 - the first flood**

* * *

Iemitsu, as the one closest to the door, was the one to throw the door open, also allowing the previously muffled scream to rip through the meeting room without obstruction. He bolted into the outside hallway, closely followed by Tsuna, Mammon, and the rest of the VARIA.

Collapsed on the floor was Basil, his body furiously trembling as he curled himself into a ball and screamed his throat hoarse. A familiar, bright blue Flame on his head rapidly fluctuated between flickering and blazing, and though his eyes were squeezed tightly shut, his eyelids twitched every few seconds to reveal the glowing blue underneath.

Glancing at Iemitsu from where she was bent over the shaking boy, Oregano snapped, "Sir, I'll go get a stretcher!" and Iemitsu nodded as she sped off in the direction of the infirmary.

Mammon flew over and hovered next to the suffering nineteen-year-old, raising his child-sized hand near his head to get an approximate sense of what he was experiencing. One brush with his mind and he winced, quickly withdrawing his hand in pain. "It's not good," he murmured, troubled. "His mind is in utter chaos right now- in the second I was able to sense, thousands of images and foreign thoughts flashed in his mind."

Tsuna spun around to face the Cervello, who remained unfazed in the meeting room. "What's going on?!" he demanded, gesturing towards his shaking friend. "Basil- Basil was chosen, right? So why is the Tri-ni-sette's power making him like this?!"

The Cervello stared back at him, seemingly unconcerned. "We did say that he would be given a great burden. It is likely that he is experiencing something similar to how Byakuran became aware of the different times and dimensions, but at a much less gradual, much more intense pace. The automatic Hyper Dying Will Mode could be due to the body's immediate self-defense mechanism- a response to the flood of Flames he is receiving."

Chrome, having tried to sense Basil's feelings as well, stumbled back from the shock. "H-he's being flooded with the information," she stammered in worry. "I don't- I don't think his mind can take it-"

Mukuro stepped forward, putting his hands on Chrome's shoulders in comfort. "Kufufu, then we just have to relieve some of the stress from his mind, correct?" He pointedly glanced towards Fran ("I'm not your apprentice anymore, shishou- VARIA, remember?") and drew his trident to drain the excess Flames from Basil's mind. A twitch of his mouth was the only indication that the interference pained him indirectly as well.

As Chrome clenched her own trident in concentration and Fran extended his Mist Flames to help, Mammon gave cautious probes to the flood and siphoned off the Flames that had begun fueling the Rain Flame on Basil's head as well, lest they consume him entirely. "Vongola," he managed to say dryly, urgency hidden under decades of apathy. "You have Sky Flames; use them." _Now._

"O-oh, right!" Tsuna replied, startled out of his panic. The Dying Will Flame flickered to life on his head as he slowly applied his Harmony attribute to Basil's Flames, careful not to petrify him. Petrify or freeze him- wouldn't want that now, because he'd just (unknowingly) given consent for Basil's life to be turned upside down and thrown into Hell on the armrest of Lucifer's throne. And if Basil died here, died now... Tsuna swallowed and shoved the thoughts aside, concentrating on _Balance_ and _Harmony_. He was overwhelmed with pressure as soon as he came in contact with the overflowing Flames, and his mind wavered before he resolutely set it back on making sure Basil didn't _die here, damnit!_

Unexpectedly, someone settled next to him, and his father's hands- unfamiliar, but calloused with experiences borne for the sake of the Family- radiated Sky Flames as well. Absent father or not, Tsuna had to admit that Iemitsu had been using his Sky Flames years longer than he had, and mimicked the Sky manipulations that his father wove.

Basil did seem to be shaking less, though his body still wracked with spasms at intervals- whether that was because of the aid he was receiving or because he was getting weaker, Tsuna wasn't sure. Eyelids flickered again and Tsuna swore that those blue eyes had been looking straight at him. The sight of a tortured Basil crying out in agony left him stunned as heavy footsteps approached. Ryohei bent down beside him and, muscles visibly straining with effort, he managed to push Basil's jaw shut. "So he doesn't bite his tongue and experience extremely fatal blood loss," he grit out, and Tsuna silently thanked Ryohei's last few years of medical training.

The silence left by the absence of Basil's screams was more foreboding than it had been with the sounds constantly bearing down on them, and Tsuna found it much more difficult to focus on _Harmony_ and _Balance_ with the sudden ringing of his ears.

His thoughts wandered to Xanxus and his Sky Flames, but he wasn't going to count on the miracle of _him_ helping. However, he recognized the harsh order from the VARIA leader for his men to fan out and watch the premises just in case. They were mafia after all, and with one of their Own having come into such power and immediately sent careening into an unstable state, defenses were obviously needed. And from Xanxus, that was enough. It was even more of a testament to the treasured bonds of Famiglia when Xanxus plucked a stray wisp of overflow from the air, vaporizing it with his Flames of Wrath. He did nothing else, merely observing the makeshift healing party, but the concern was there.

When Oregano's "The stretcher, sir!" rang through the hallway, Yamamoto and Gokudera were the first ones to heft Basil into the air, grateful for the chance to _do_ something, as they were wary of accidentally fueling the Rain Flames with more Rain Flames or worse, destroying something that should be left intact.

As they rushed Basil down the hall, Tsuna heard Bermuda's voice behind him. "Well, the Tri-ni-sette should be stabilized now. I will take my leave, then."

"We have finished what we came here to do as well. We bid you farewell, Sawada- and to you, newest member of this cursed fate."

Tsuna whirled around, but Bermuda, the two Vindice, and the two Cervello had disappeared, leaving an ominous air in their wake.

* * *

"Are… are we done?" Tsuna panted, his gloved hand swiping sweat from his brow.

Ryohei gave his patient one last look over before giving his little brother a tired grin. "This is the most we can extremely do for now."

The occupants of the infirmary gave a collective sigh of relief as many sought out chairs or other spots to rest their tired muscles, a luxury most appreciated by the Mist and Sky users. Tsuna let his Dying Will Flame extinguish as he collapsed onto his own seat, exhausted. The last hour or so had mainly been spent strapping Basil to the bed so that he didn't hurt himself with his thrashing and continuously draining the Flames driving Basil's mind into chaos. The blond had stopped screaming half an hour ago (allowing Ryohei to finally stop keeping his jaw in place), but the strain had left his throat bloody and torn, and he still let out the occasional pained whimper.

 _Add another item to the list of 'cannot be healed yet,'_ Tsuna thought grimly. Though Basil had finally fallen asleep, his shuddering Dying Will Flame had yet to go out, and Mammon, who refused to take a break from tending to the young blond, had confirmed that the havoc in his mind had not settled either. As Ryohei had pointed out, healing any injuries Basil had sustained throughout his Flood (as they had begun calling it) with Sun Flames would be counterproductive at this point in time- they couldn't risk adding Flames while they were still removing them.

In the corner of the room, Yuni had her eyes closed in concentration, having been trying to foresee the outcome of the situation. After another unsuccessful attempt, she shook her head. "I just don't understand," she sighed in frustration. "The Tri-ni-sette chose a non-Sky when it has always been balanced by Sky Flames- why?"

Sitting next to her, Enma contemplated the question. "W-well," he reasoned, glancing at Basil's blue Dying Will Flame, "He is able to access Hyper Dying Will Mode- I mean, he's the only non-Sky or Earth user who can, and it's not easy."

"He's always had a high Flame potential," Iemitsu agreed wearily, following Enma's gaze. "It's why he caught my eye, why I brought him out of the streets."

Tsuna frowned. "Out of the stree-"

"Mu, as important as your talk is, it is rather difficult to concentrate," Mammon rebutted curtly from his spot by Basil's bedside, his body stiff under his cloak. "The Little One's Flames are wavering, but there are dangerous bursts that I still cannot control."

"Sorry," Tsuna said quietly as he anxiously stared at Basil's quivering form. _What's going on in your head, Basil?_ he wondered.

* * *

Stumble-

Fall-

 _Pain-_

Get up, keep running, keep running-

Ignore the salt-burning, ignore the stabbing-pain

 _Keep running_

Basil stumbled in exhaustion and fell painfully to his knees, then sprang up with a cry as the saltwater stung the gashes all over his body. His eyes darted around, desperate, seeking land- but it was the same scenery he had seen ever since he had woken up in this place- an endless salt flat, a mirror reflecting the blue sky above. Or it would be, if the waters weren't churning and _screaming_ and roaring to threaten swallowing Basil whole-

 _ **(coat to block the cold 'don'tforgetthesigns' kids floating in the air with ribbons streaming lights blinking)**_

-and his head ached and it felt like he was _drowning_ even though he couldn't in such shallow water and there were others trying to swallow him as well-

-the sharks were back, even though Basil swore he'd finally lost them. He willed his legs to _move_ and _run_ (but the saltwater was splashing against the wounds on his legs and it was so hard to run in water and why couldn't he go any _faster_ )- the predators must have sensed his fear (Squalo had told him about that) and _no wonder they found me, no wonder._

 _ **('whydoyoulie' flashes of color the only way out is over the cliff black suits crisp ties)**_

His vision unfocusing as images overlapped, Basil staggered through the waves, felt warm blood drip down his arm and blur into the waters splashing against his legs- as if the sharks needed another way to track him. As he trudged through the waters, constantly being knocked to his side and bitten by salt, Basil faintly noticed that it was quiet- _quiet?_ \- besides the rushing sound of the waves as they _seethed_.

Ears were waterlogged, everything he heard sounded distant and distorted, but-

 _ **(wife undone, slices through walls, white blanket over grief as hands shake is that him)**_

He turned back, hoping, thinking, _maybe they're gone-_ but then his heart skipped a beat and he pushed his aching limbs harder (wobbled for a moment before catching himself _why was his head so sore_ ) the sharks were silent and _gaining on him_ , metersfeet _inchesaway_ -

-and then they weren't silent anymore, teeth snapping-snappingsoloud no need for silence when the prey was so close and giving up _no_ he couldn't give up _couldn't give up yet_

 _ **(alone left alone yet she's not and fireplaces crackle floor collapses sparks at her fingertips papers ablaze)**_

There was a tug on his being, something inside of him that he couldn't describe but had to respond to- so his eyes flickered to the side and there was- ice? Freezing, spreading _ice_ that slowly crept through the raging waters and froze them in their screams, stretching its cold to cover the expanse like cyrophoenix wings. But the cold never touches Basil, he doesn't feel any heat draining from him ( _then again,_ he thinks as he shivers, he doesn't have any left to drain at all). Then it stops, the last tips of ice hardening water with a sharp cracking sound-

 _ **(dying again, someone's name on his lips, a Triad deal gone bad and now the**_ **thief was dead** _ **)**_

-but something else was still moving, and Basil, despite his legs howling tired _stopfall_ and lock _breakcrumble_ , found the energy to look the other way, where a whirlpool was tirelessly consuming his tormentors, the waters' shrieks silencing as they were swallowed by the void. It started as a devouring maelstrom before slowly shrinking into a small vortex, its force diminishing but its presence even stronger, and Basil knew it somehow, _knew_ and smiled through the suffering-

-but he made a mistake, he paused _stopped_ for just a moment and there were jagged knives searing through his leg. He whipped around with a cry to see that a shark had gotten to him, teeth sunk into his flesh and ready to tear away-

-and it disappeared.

 _ **(desperation panic succumbing to rest relief, hospital beds and rings lit fireworks 'areyouokay' 'yesIam')**_

The throbbing in his skull faded, dulling as Basil watched the turbulent waters recede in awe. "_ver," he heard himself say, and it was over _over he was free._ Crimson still tainted the salt flat's reflective surface, serving as a reminder of what had happened, and the pain in his body had yet to wane, but-

The last things he remembered seeing were the frosty glacier and the swirling whirlpool on the horizon before he swayed and closed his eyes.

* * *

Basil stirred.

A murmur of startled whispers swept through the room. Tsuna was the first out of his seat, fatigue forgotten as he scurried to his friend's bedside. "Basil!" he exclaimed, worried, but excited. "Basil-"

And then his eyes opened, and Tsuna took a step back in shock despite himself.

"What's wrong?" Ryohei and Lussuria were suddenly next to their patient, who made a pained sound of discontent as he attempted to rise, his Dying Will Flame dissipating. Lussuria helped Basil sit up as Ryohei checked his blood pressure and heart rate, taking advantage of Basil's momentary disorientation.

Once the Sun User checked pupil dilation, however, he blinked. "This is extremely odd," he frowned, switching the small light off. "His eyes are…"

Lussuria tsked and took a look. "Hm~" he hummed curiously as he shone light into Basil's eyes himself. "...three pupils in each- looks like you've got polycoria, dear, but I can't be too sure."

Still looking confused, Basil didn't seem to be processing anything Lussuria was saying. Instead, his altered eyes flashed to the side in slight panic, looking for-

-and the former Mist Arcobaleno was next to him on the bed, small, child-sized arm reaching out-

-without hesitation, Basil flung his arms around Mammon and wailed over his shoulder as relief washed over him, gently lapping, comforting- so different from the raging, drowning waters that had plagued his mind.


End file.
